The grandfather of a slain teenager testified Monday that his granddaughter and her friend were walking to a bridge near the family home when they were fatally shot in 2008 near Weleetka.

Peter Placker, who identified himself as the biological grandfather who raised Taylor Placker as his daughter, testified Monday in the preliminary hearing of Kevin Sweat. Sweat is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the case.

Prosecutors say the 27-year-old shot and killed Taylor Placker, 13, and her friend Skyla Whitaker, 11, while they were walking on a dirt road. According to court documents, Sweat pulled over on the side of the road when he saw "two monsters" come at him. Sweat told police he "panicked" and then "shot the monsters."

On June 8, 2008, Skyla Whitaker and Taylor Placker began walking down a rural road in Okfuskee County toward Bad Creek Bridge.

"Taylor and Skyla had been gone for maybe 15 minutes when I got a call from Skyla's mom," testified Placker, who said that he tried calling Taylor on her cellphone because Skyla's mom was on her way to the home. "When they didn't answer, I walked down the road and found them laying in the ditch. I thought they had got hit by a car," he testified. "I tried to feel her (Taylor Placker) arm for a pulse, but there wasn't one."

Placker testified that he called his other daughter and delivered the tragic news.

"They killed our babies," testified Placker.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last at least two days.

Prosecutors plan on calling an agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as their second witness.

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